Updated 7:05 pm, Monday, February 20, 2012

Major medical companies are charging clients more and covering less while paying providers (doctors, hospitals, etc.) only a portion of the billing for services.

The provider then bills the client for the unpaid balance. The Aetnas get rich and spend their proceeds on the largest lobbyist population in Washington.

Sixty percent of all bankruptcies are due to medical expenses, and 77 percent had a major medical plan in place.

My wife experienced Aetna "making health care affordable" (read: profitable) during a battle with breast cancer a few years ago, and they are truly the problem. This is the Aetna we know: refusal of prescribed treatment, weeks arguing with customer service, nonpayment of bills, requiring a 23 hour stay (out-patient) for a double mastectomy.

Regarding "Wrestling with conflict between sports, faith" (Page B7, Saturday), I take exception to David Brooks column. There is no conflict between sports ethos and religious ethos, unless you mean the conflict between the partying that comes with pro sports and religious faith. That conflict applies in any way of life.

Brooks describes the ethos of the sports hero and says his primary virtue is courage - the ability to withstand pain, remain calm under pressure and rise from nowhere to topple the greats. That describes the ethos of the person of faith.

As for humility - it is not achieving loftiness of spirit by performing the most menial services.

It is understanding that doing one's best at anything, menial or magnificent, is a worthy goal to be accepted quietly when achieved - not by shouting "I am the greatest" at every opportunity.

Here in Houston we have a great example of a man of faith who was a great basketball player, Hakeem Olajuwon.

Jon Diamos, Houston

James Baker, III

Regarding "Houston's statesman" (Page B6, Saturday), James A. Baker, III is not only a credit to our nation, but to Houston in particular, for his past government service. His ideas and opinions are just as timely today as they were when he was actually serving as secretary of treasury.

And two of his opinions in particular should not be taken lightly by President Obama and his confederates: his saying that our government debt is a "time bomb" and the denouncement of the Keystone pipeline was a "disaster."

I would cherish the opportunity to personally deliver a copy of your editorial to the White House steps. It should be required reading for President Obama and all concerned

I agree with David Schubert's assertion in his op-ed "Now's not time to drop the fight against AIDS epidemic" (Page B7, Thursday) that the international effort to eradicate HIV/AIDS is a worthwhile effort.

Fiscal conservatives often complain that we "tax-and-spend liberals" want to solve every problem by throwing money at it. And their concerns have some validity.

But I hasten to point out that the medications to wipe out HIV/AIDS currently exist. So this epidemic is one that can be ended by throwing money at it.